There probably exists no such chapter buried deep inside general manager Ben Cherington’s copy of The Red Sox Way: A Blueprint for Winning in the 21st Century entitled “Finish Last in the Division Every Other Year.” Yet that was Boston’s fate in both 2012 and 2014, two of the three years Cherington’s been at the […]
Tag: Christian Vazquez
How Much Will the Red Sox Miss Christian Vazquez's Pitch Framing?
The loss of Christian Vazquez for the season to Tommy John surgery is a big one for the Red Sox. Though some hoped he would develop as a hitter, the Red Sox weren’t expecting much offensive production. Instead, much of his value was to come from his ability to frame pitches. Last season, his total […]
Christian Vazquez and the Troubling Track Record of Catchers and Tommy John Surgery
One of the few nice surprises about Boston’s 2014 campaign was Christian Vazquez. Specifically, the young backstop emerged as a viable big-league starter during his age-23 season, proving that if you can frame pitches well, play solid defense, and hit just a little better than Tony Pena did with the Sox, then you can be […]